I tried to build up my stamina by doing exercises and doing cover dances until the 3rd episode aired. Luckily, my levels in the status window aren't that low, so I was able to get them right and move on; the bad thing is that everything I did only unlocked some 500 achievement titles.

"I don't think I can level up quickly now."

It was fortunate that the rewards often appeared in the pop-up window of the achievements of fame or successful performance.

And after a satisfying week, Friday arrived.

At 5 pm I went to the meeting place. It was in an officetel located quite far from the station on the outskirts of Seoul, probably someone from the team's house.

As I walked out of the subway station, an amazing thing happened.

-Excuse me!

-Yes?

-By any chance... Aren't you an Icorpo participant?

Someone had come to ask me. Well, he asked out of politeness as I could see her eyes sparkle for sure.

I thought for a brief moment and then nodded. I had gone out into the street without wearing a mask and that's why he recognized me. If I had been out with one and was still recognized, it would be awkward to take off my mask to have photos taken and then put it back on. Also, I was in a situation where I shouldn't lie and deny that it's me.

-Yes, that's right.

-Oh, I knew it!

The woman who spoke to me was very happy.

-I have really enjoyed your performances, you are a very good singer... Could I take a picture with you?

What do I do?

I thought that Keun SeJin would take a picture of us, so I dressed properly and went out. But unlike when we were filmed on the show, my face was totally bare.

Since I have taken pictures of idols in my previous life, I already knew that. Sometimes, you need to retouch your photos.

"...Back then, when I took photos or videos of idols, I had to make some corrections to their appearances before selling my material."

But in the current situation, it was more important not to make a mess.

-Yes. Is it okay to take our picture right here?

-Oh yes, give me a minute...!

The woman quickly opened the camera app, selected a beauty filter, and snapped a selfie together.

It relieved me that she used a filter for the photo.

-Ah, thank you very much. I will definitely vote, no, I will buy shares of you!

-Oh, thank you.

There's a high chance she won't because she can't even remember my name, but I thanked her anyway.

Perhaps because of this person's reaction, I'm starting to draw attention. It's getting awkward to have all the people passing by staring at me, so I bow my head to say goodbye.

-I'm retiring, I have a job to do...

-Oh, yeah! Thanks for the photo...

Passersby must be wondering "what's going on", so I quickly left and bought a mask at a convenience store as soon as I left the station.

It's not that I'm shy or too self-conscious, but since I've already been recognized once in public, I had to be extra careful when I got back home.

I already knew that season 3 would do very well, but getting to the point where he is recognized on the streets is incredible to me.

"If it had come out like that in the middle of the show, it would have been crazy."

The place I'm staying is just a cheap room, so I don't think it's a safe place to live. If at any time I find myself harassed by cameras, it will be necessary to take action in the future.

As I was walking and thinking about various things, I soon arrived at the officetel. It was a clean house and its security was good. I don't know whose house it is, but he seems to be living well. I'm envious.

-Oh~ Why did you come so fast, MoonDae? Welcome!

-H-hello.

When I rang the bell, Keun SeJin and Seon AhHyun came out,

-This is the living room~

As SeJin led me, AhHyun followed me. It seems that SeJin's house is big. Well, it's normal that the organizer of the meeting invites us to his house.

-It's a nice house.

-Right? I wish it was my house!

-...?

Does that mean he doesn't own this house?

My brief question was answered by AhHyun...

-T-thank you.

-...

So...this is Seon AhHyun's house.

SeJin was almost lying on the sofa and AhHyun sat up straight on the corner of the furniture. I stared at them for a long time because the situation seemed strange to me, but after a while, I stopped thinking.

Does not matter. Let's just watch the 3rd episode and then I'll go.

* * *

In the editing room, which was located on the ninth floor of the Tnet building, some editors from "Idol Corporation" were working overtime.

The edition was delayed due to the preparation of the live PR videos.

That's driving me crazy.

It was very disheartening that they finished the final edit of the episode a few hours before it aired. Ryu SeoRin felt very upset.

"It would have been better if they had hired another staff to take care of the PR videos."

But it was impossible to hire other staff as the cost of production rose quite a bit while they were promoting the ads. Due to this, the young editor's schedule was full of hours of work, arriving at dawn to finish editing the episode.

Also, when she added the subtitles of the edited version that her classmates had made, she realized that they had made changes... very unexpected.

"Why did they delete everything she wanted to show?"

Ryu SeoRin's own suggestion had not been taken into account!

He desperately wanted to gnash his teeth at him, but he didn't have the energy to do so. Her eyes looked yellow because she stayed up two nights in a row.

"Not that I have power anyway."

Although the editing caused more fun and satisfaction, she was disappointed.

"After seeing the editing direction of the 1st and 2nd episodes, I was looking forward to the 3rd to see how the public criticized it."

She sighed and left the editing room. She was planning to rest her eyes for 1 hour until the show aired.

* * *

-It's about to start!

-wow! Please show off our team well in this episode!

The former team members met up at Seon AhHyun's house, ordered takeout, and spent time chatting about what might be in the episode.

After the 1st and 2nd episodes aired, each of the boys was excited by the reactions of the public, but there was nothing that was very important.

-MoonDae, do you want us to order chicken feet?

...They asked me with a mischievous smile

I ignored them because soon the program started.

"It's good to see it on a bigger screen."

I thought casually, looking at the huge TV that took up a quarter of the living room wall.

-Oh, it's already started.

Seeing the guys sitting on the couch or on the floor with full stomachs, I didn't think they would pay much attention to everything each of us said or did, so it would be fine.

But it was not like that.

As soon as the MC's words were heard, interview clips were inserted.

-Uwaaa, the hyungs came out!!

-Keun SeJin hyung, you look great in the interview cut.

-I told you! I knew I wasn't going to get out.

Every time a member appears on the screen, everyone gets excited and starts talking. I'm getting upset because it's hard to concentrate on the show.

On the other hand, SeJin laughed. He must find it funny that they named him "Lee SeJin (B)" to differentiate him from another person with the same name.

-MoonDae, were you really like that? Hahaha!

-...No.

Could it be that...?

Keun SeJin had named more than 7 people that he would like to team up with, but the editors cut that part and only chose my name to show on the broadcast.

I'll try to focus more on the episode.

The moment our team was decided, it was enthusiastically received. The Gold boys 1, 2 and SeJin were shown hugging each other and spinning around like they were innocent and fun boys.

What was unexpected was the editing direction towards the opposing team, which had former National Archery Representative Ryu CheongWoo.

Although the atmosphere of that team was relatively cool, it was a quickly remedied team under the leadership of Ryu CheongWoo, but the editors made it look like a team that had gone ruined.

-Ooh...

-Hmm.

Since it was difficult to comment, I could only hear ambiguous exclamations from my side. It was hard for us to like them, but we didn't want to criticize them either.

After going through the team formation process, the next stage was the selection process.

Gold- 1, who pressed the button on the sign screaming loudly and without looking well, came out in a single cut.

-Aaaaah...

Gold 1 was frustrated to see himself make a silly excited cry at that moment.

And the edition that followed... did not take the problem seriously. Cuts of interviews with the members of my team came out with background music with a joking tone.

By the way, Ha IlJoon is Gold 1 and Kwon HeeSeung is Gold 2.

What is he going to do...? Ugh.

The sign indicating the name of the song and group flashed pastel colored lights as a joke.

...And then, somehow, a cut of my interview appeared.

And they added a subtitle.

The living room was filled with laughter.

-AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

-HAHA, ah, I laughed so much that now my stomach hurts...!

Even Lee Sejin was holding back his laugh, I could tell because his face looked tense.

-Hehe, really? Did you really say that?

-...I said I liked the team.

-Hahaha. Hmm, oh~ was that it? Thank you.

Keun SeJin smiled and sank down on the sofa. I... just put a chicken leg in my mouth.

"Your jokes don't affect me."

After that, the practice of choreography was seen in a way that was not too serious.

This is because the initial practice, which actually had a rather grim vibe, was edited as if we were working hard without knowing it. The first background music to express nervousness was heard when the choreographer harshly criticized us.

After that, a series of personal attacks were shown as they originally happened, with huge subtitles and emphasized words.

-Although I am hearing it again, I feel that his criticism was too strong.

-To tell the truth, I was really scared.

-Yes, it shows.

-Uh, you were the same too.

When the stiff expressions of my colleagues were seen on the screen, we began to exchange candid comments in the room.

Fortunately, the scene where Seon AhHyun was compared to me and cruelly criticized by the choreographer was not shown, he was just coldly shocked. But neither of us expected them to show the next scene.

They included the scene where I personally talked to AhHyun, though the editors put a subtitle that read "Contestant Seon AhHyun couldn't concentrate in practice."

It was the conversation where I was able to use my "Sounds good" skill. But they showed that scene at a time that wasn't right, because it was after we decided on the musical arrangement for our assigned song.

-U-uh?

-What?

AhHyun must have felt embarrassed, so he dropped the piece of chicken he was eating.

I too was perplexed.

"I told him that when the main camera left the practice room and the camera installed in the corner was turned off."

It didn't look like it would be recorded for use on the television broadcast. But apparently they turned it back on when I didn't notice.

Thanks to that, the conversation sounded a little more sincere.

With the soulful editing added, it looked like a typical scene from some boy manhwa where I'll be recruiting a new boy to become my partner.

I was confused.

"No, I appreciate that you edited it well, but..."

It was an odd choice, considering the uncaring image the editors had built of me from the very first episode.

Maybe they didn't have much time to change it and that's why they left it like that?

Meanwhile, my on-screen "me" said that advice, accompanied by nice background music.

And the living room was filled with noise reacting to that scene.

-Ooooh~

-"I'm going to...do this"?

-MoonDae-ssi, I've never thought like that~ That's great advice!

Just... Ah, I'm going to ignore them.

Amid many comments, some mocking and some admiring, the broadcast showed a short interview with Seon AhHyun.

Seon AhHyun may be a bit weak mentally, but he is definitely loyal. That's why I responded immediately.

-Thank you.

-A-ah... no. T-thank you...

-Oh, you are so sweet.

-Yes you are.

While AhHyun, who was being the new point of conversation, was even more embarrassed, another cut appeared in which we were with coach Mudi deciding the direction of our musical arrangement.

Yes, that was important.